2026 Conductors

Chris Becker is the current Director of the Wind Ensemble and the Jazz Band at Washington University in St. Louis, where he also teaches Applied Trumpet.  He has held a position in the Music Department at Wash U for over 30 years. Becker earned degrees from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, and from Lindenwood University, and taught in public schools in Missouri for 40 years, at all levels.  During his career, he has directed marching bands, concert bands, jazz bands and combos, and taught piano, guitar, and music technology. Becker is the Conductor of the Manchester Community Band and the Genesis Jazz Project and directs the Missouri Ambassadors of Music Concert Band.  He has been a guest conductor for numerous honor bands, and he is a frequent clinician and judge for schools and festivals throughout the area. Becker is a member of numerous professional organizations and has served as the Jazz Vice President for MMEA and as Jazz Vice President for the St. Louis Suburban MEA.  He was named "Charles Emmons Outstanding Band Director" by Phi Beta Mu, and was recognized for his 36 years of teaching by the Parkway School District.  He was named to the SLSMEA Hall of Fame in 2018.

Charles Robinson is Professor of Choral Music Education, and Area Coordinator for Music Education and Music Therapy at the University of Missouri - Kansas City Conservatory. He conducts the Conservatory Concert Choir and teaches a variety of courses in choral music and music education. His early career included teaching choral music in middle schools and high schools in Florida, and he has worked with singers of all ages, from children to older adults. An active conductor/clinician throughout the United States, he is also a frequent presenter of workshops for music educators. He has served in multiple leadership roles in MMEA and ACDA, including service as president of the Missouri Choral Directors Association. The Missouri Choral Directors Association presented Robinson with the Luther T. Spayde Award of Excellence for significant contributions to choral music in Missouri, and the Florida State University College of Music recognized Robinson with the Ella Scoble Opperman Faculty Citation for distinguished achievement in music education and scholarly research in music. Robinson earned undergraduate and doctoral degrees from Florida State University and a master’s degree in choral music from California State University, Long Beach.

Daniel Henderson is in his tenth year as the orchestra director at Clayton High School. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in cello performance from the HARID Conservatory and a Master of Music in cello performance from the University of Florida. Mr. Henderson is a two-time recipient of the Cello Fellowship Award at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Alberta, Canada. Before joining Clayton, he taught in the Pattonville, Parkway, and Fairfax County school districts. In 2020, he was recognized as the Missouri American String Teachers Association Outstanding Secondary Educator of the Year. His orchestras have been invited to perform at the Missouri Music Educators Conference three times. He lives in University City, MO, with his wife, Katie, who is also an orchestra teacher, and their two daughters.

Aaron Lehde is Director of Bands and District Music Facilitator for the Ladue District, where he has taught since 2002. His duties include conducting the Symphonic, Concert, and Jazz Bands at Ladue Horton Watkins High School along with the Seventh and Eighth grade Concert and Jazz Bands at Ladue Middle School. Lehde earned his B.M. Music Education and Jazz Performance, (2000) and M.M. Jazz Performance, (2010) from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He has served as the Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA) Jazz Vice President (2022-2024). He has served the St. Louis Suburban Music Educators Association (SLSMEA) as President (2016-2018), High School Jazz VP (2010-2014), Middle School Jazz VP (2004-2008), and High School Band VP (2020-2022). Lehde has played saxophones and other woodwinds with numerous artists including the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the MUNY Orchestra, Frankie Valli, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Manhattan Transfer, Maynard Ferguson, Byron Stripling, Dave Weckl, Wayne Newton, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Bernadette Peters, Johnny Mathis, Idina Menzel, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Jay Leno, Marty Allen, Bob Newhart, and “Weird Al” Yankovic. His touring and performance experience has brought him to 49 states and 32 countries worldwide.